Would like to know some healthy lunches and diners to make

Sandra - posted on 08/06/2012

My kids love Zucchini pancakes (also works well with other vegetables, especially spinach!)
Add a lot of grated Zucchini into pancake batter (use buckwheat, kamut, or spelt flour instead of white flour) and cook as you would pancakes.
They are nice plain or with grated cheese, feta cheese or other toppings.

And here is a great dessert:
healthy chocolate Mousse:

2 Avocados
1/2 cup Agave Syrup (or Maple, Stevia, honey, etc, whatever your favourite sweetener is, just adjust amounts accordingly)
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
Vanilla (opitonal)

put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth!
It's so creamy and delicious and your kids won't even taste the avocado! ;-)

Even better if you serve it with some fresh berries or other fruit! ;-)

Roxanna - posted on 08/01/2012

I use alot of chicken and ground TURKEY. We usually consume about 8 to 10 pounds of ground turkey a week. Homemade stroganoff with veggie noodles, spaghetti, chili beans, ground turkey with potatoes, shepherds pie...the list goes on and on. I place the turkey on a pot with water, and a drop of oil and I coordinate the seasoning to the dish I am making. I use alot of minced garlic from Goya, Mexican Oregano for most of my dishes. I use a masher to loosen the meat to make it crumbly. I eschew using salt, I have no tolerance for it.
You can contact me directly for detailed recipes or I can just do it here!

Libie - posted on 07/25/2012

Hi all you mom's out there! I'm a student doing research about how Mom's buy fast food for their children and trying to make improvements in the industry. If you guys have a minute to spare to take my survey (and perhaps pass it along to your friends :) ) that would be awesome! Thanks so much!
:)

https://docs.google.com/a/macalester.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dENycVJCV0hoNXI5dmExRU1uR1paLXc6MQ

Alison - posted on 07/20/2012

I also loved that website Nancy!! Thanks so much for the reference!

Kate - posted on 07/20/2012

Rachel thanks for the Nacho recipe!!!! I tried them the other day and forgot to post how much my family and I loved them! MMMM dreaming of them now!

Melissa - posted on 07/19/2012

My hubby isn't much on veggies and things and you would be surprised how much I sneak in carrots and things into my cooking. I chop it up VERY fine and stick in hamburger and he never knows the difference :) You can do this with pasta dishes too by hiding them in the sauces.

I make pizza quesadillas and everyone loves them instead of buying take out or frozen pizzas - This is the recipe I use: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.c...
I like to use tortillas a lot instead of bread - chicken/tuna salad wraps, put eggs and cheese inside for a breakfast burrito, etc

I also make tacos - I put chicken breasts, 1pkg of taco seasoning, and a jar of salsa in the crockpot on high for 4-6hrs and then shred the chicken up and use it for tacos, nachos, etc...and you can freeze any extra for later.

I like to make my own fries too - just slice up some russet potatoes and then toss them in olive oil and garlic powder/salt (or whatever you want - you can find premade seasonings in packages too for about $1) and bake them in the oven

You can find a lot of recipes to make a rotisserie chicken in your crockpot as well

You would be surprised at how many dishes actually freeze nicely....I always try to make a little extra and freeze it for later if I can to make things easier on really busy evenings. Also, if you are making anything that calls for sugar, you can usually substitute it for honey or greek yogurt instead of sour cream & mayo which help make things healthier.

Susi - posted on 07/19/2012

I love cooking healthy alternitives to the kids fav junk foods.

1) I make their pizza rather than the usual take out, I usually make about 20 and freeze them. And you get what you want on them (and can dice veg real fine so the kids dont recognoise it)

2). Any veg you like really, boil it until very tender, mash well. Add seasoning bread crumbs and some herbs you like and leave to cool. Make into burger (if you have younger kids you can make them smaller so younger kids get 2 smaller once compared to mum and dads 2 larger once.

3). mac & cheese, but add peas and other veg. Mine dont notice them so much as they are sooo busy wolfing it down.

AS long as yousit down together and dont make a big deal out of it them usually they will (in time even) follow you eating. Also eat the same things.

desert wise,

theres no reason you cant have desert if you are eating healthily.
Just be sure what your eating. I love cooking so i tend to make everything (including the daily bread lol)

We do baked apples, baked banannas.
stewed fruits, basicly any fruit with stonnes in half and remove the stone, sprinkle with sugar and a little butter (sugar depending on how sweet the fruit is) then bake in the oven, you could alter this to a cobbler to make it more filling

THeres something like a homemade oat cookie with some yoghurt ice cream ontop.

there are sooo many ideas, there are just a few of my kids fav's

Susi xx

Nancy - posted on 07/16/2012

Here's one of my all-time favorite, healthy recipes, Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps…Just like In Your Favorite Asian Restaurant! This dish is great as a appetizer or light main-course lunch or dinner. One of these tantalizing wraps now has 62 calories, 2 grams of fat and 2 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS. Hope you enjoy it!
http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/chi...

Pam - posted on 07/15/2012

Oh, and kids seem to like lentils--plain or in rice or pilafs or soups.

Pam - posted on 07/15/2012

Also, yellow squash mixed in mac & cheese works well. Jerry Seinfeld's wife has a whole cookbook about hiding vegetables in various foods if your kids are resistant. I even had to hide veggies to get my ex-husband to eat them, like hiding the shredded veggies in spaghetti sauce.

Pam - posted on 07/15/2012

1. Hummus dip.Kids love it & it's great on veggies, pita bread or as as sandwich spread & super healthy.
2. Cut tofu in pieces & marinate in anything they like (apple juice, soy sauce, bbq sauce).
3. Roll up healthy food in a crepe, whole wheat or corn tortilla & let them eat it like a burrito.
4. Refried beans w. cheese on top plain or in a burrito.
5. Chick peas in salad, dinner, or by themselves (great toddler food too)
6. Dried fruit as candy
7. Flavored rice cakes as crackers
8. Shred veggies in tomato sauce for pizza, spaghetti, lasagne
9. Blend veggies with cooked onions & cream for a yummy soup they'll eat (& they won't be able to tell what veggies you've put in it)
10. Mix cooked mashed veggies in mashed potatoes (cauliflower works really well, use turnips, or mash 1 sweet potato w. 2 white potatoes). Or cut sweet potato fries & bake in oven w. cinnamon.
11. Warm applesauce on pancakes,waffles or oatmeal instead of butter & syrup.(you can have them for dinner too!)
12. Cut veggies in fun shapes (carrot curls w. a peeler, radish roses, cut slits in celery 1/2 way down the stick & they'll be flowers)
13. My daughter will eat anything with chocolate or cheese in or on it (but not both, of course).
14. Switch to whole wheat breads, pasta, etc.
15. V-8 -- put it in a fun cup/glass w. a celery swizzle stick, or make your own veggie blend juices if you or a friend has a juicer.

Elizabeth - posted on 07/11/2012

Slice up chicken into strips. I use boneless chicken breasts. Cook in a skillet with a little oil, salt, and pepper till done. Slice up some bell pepper, onion, squash, and cook in the same skillet till they are done. You should season it with salt and pepper while cooking as this will make the onions sweat a bring out there flavor. Mix the chicken back in and serve with tortillas, slice fresh avacado, shredded cheese, and sour cream. You can chop up some tomatoe and either cook it with the other veggies or leave raw, your choice. Let them build their own tortillas. You can also serve some cut up pineapple on the side if you like for a little sweetness.

Jessica - posted on 07/02/2012

thank you everyone for your replies they have helped me out with some great ideas

Nancy - posted on 06/30/2012

Jessica, Here's such an easy, healthy and really yummy lasagna recipe-Beyond Decadent, Skinny Lasagna Alfredo! I hope your family enjoys it as much as my does.
Here's the link to the recipe-http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/bey...

Trista - posted on 06/26/2012

Nancy love the site, found a few good recipes on there. Thanks for sharing.

Nancy - posted on 06/26/2012

Jessica, check out my recipe site, Skinny Kitchen. All my skinny recipes include Weight Watchers POINTS and nutrition facts, plus cooking tips, food finds and more. I hope you join me there!

Here's the link: http://www.skinnykitchen.com

Elizabeth - posted on 06/26/2012

Mine neither unless its fish sticks. lol. We have a picnic night where we cut up different kinds of fruit and vegies and put out some cheeses and lunch meat with bread cut half (triangles) with the condoments and pickles. And we just fix our own. The kids when they where little would kill the fruit and veggies. Make sure to put some peanut butter and ranch dressing out to for dipping. Peanut butter tastes great on apples!

Trista - posted on 06/25/2012

One of my favorites is Chicken Salsa in the crockpot. Throw in frozen chicken breasts, frozen corn, black beans and a jar of natural salsa. Turn the slow cooker on high for 4 hours, shred the chicken maybe about an hour before it's done and you have yourself a really yummy dinner. It's great as a taco, with corn chips or on top of lettuce for a salad

Rachel - posted on 06/21/2012

Easy Tasty Nachos

4 chicken breasts
2 jars black bean and white corn salsa
tostitos scoops
white cheddar cheese
sour cream
avacados
black olives
jalepenos


Sides you could do refried beans and spanish rice


Crock pot- spray w/non stick spray add 4 chicken breasts and 2 jars of black bean white corn salsa.. Do not add any water. Let cook 4 hours.. Shred chicken..

put your chips onto your plate-bowl is less messy for younger kiddos
top the chips with your cooked chicken and salsa.. add the rest of the toppings you choose.

Its fast and easy.. ;)

Louise - posted on 06/21/2012

The best way to get your children eatting healthily is to eat together ever night. If you and dad are eatting meat and vegetables your kids will follow you. Children are more likely to eat a healthy diet if they see mum and dad doing it! Make spaghetti with grated vegetables in to encourage your child to eat more veggies. Veggies dont have to be boring! Make vegeatable lasagne, or vegetable potato cakes (like fish cakes but without the fish! lol)

My kids used to love simple foods like stew and dumplings, shepherds pies, beef cobblers, mild curries and rice, homemade veggie pizza. I know this means longer in the kitchen preping but if you get your child involved with making the food they are more likely to eat it!